The Chamber

by John Grisham

Book Overview

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLER - "A dark and thoughtful tale... Grisham is at his best." --People

In the corridors of Chicago's top law firm: Twenty -six-year-old Adam Hall stands on the brink of a brilliant legal career. Now he is risking it all for a death-row killer and an impossible case.

Maximum Security Unit, Mississippi State Prison: Sam Cayhall is a former Klansman and unrepentant racist now facing the death...

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0385339666
• ISBN13: 9780385339667
• Release Date: December 2005
• Publisher: Anchor Books
• Length: 640 Pages
• Weight: 1.00 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 5.1" x 8.3"

Customer Reviews

Well worth it

This is one of Grisham's longer books, but well worth it. The characters in "The Chamber" are better developed than some of his other books, notably some of his more recent books. As the reader, a bond formed between the main characters and I throughout the book. It was this closeness with the characters combined with a well-written story and thoughtful dialogue that provided me with the opportunity to contemplate something I had never really thought about before - the death penalty. I really enjoyed the book and recommend it to anyone who has read and enjoyed any of Grisham's other books.

An emotional and powerul "court room" thriller.

The Chamber, by John Grisham, is an emotional "court room" thriller that will bring you back to reality in a drastic way. Sam Cayhall has been hit with the most crushing news of his life,... the verdict of death. In 1967, Sam Cayhall, then a member of the Ku Klux Klan, bombed a Jewish lawyer's office. The owner's twin boys, Josh and John, were inside at the time that the bomb went off and were blown to bits. Nine years later, after Sam's third and final trial (last trial was in 1981) his grandson, Adam Hall, decides to represent him. This emotional smack in the face will give you a whole new outlook on life. Although this message is hidden deep in the story, it is definitely there. This novel will open your eyes and show you that everyone has two sides.Everyone has a little bit of an angel, and a little bit of devil in their characters. Sometimes we look past that, but this novel brings you back to the true harshness of reality. It also shows that all people have secrets, and that we are all a little bit ashamed of our own identities. We may think that we know everything about our family, and ourselves, but we might not. At the age of seventeen, the main character, Adam Hall, discovered a shocking secret about his past. This secret changes Adam's point of view, and his fate. His dreams and goals change in one night of grieving and sharing with his Aunt Lee. All in all, The Chamber is a novel with an intense and moving heart, that everyone can relate to in some way or another.

Camara de Gas

Fantástico! te lo leerás "casi" de un tirón! Tiene todo para ser un buen libro, la traducción al español es excelente, no se ha perdido nada.

Very intense entertainment.

Must Read. Excellent story line, Spanish version very, very closely equals the American version. There were a very few areas where the Spanish translation did not perfectly paint the same mental image that was intended by the author, but over-all, an superior piece of work.

POLITICS ASIDE, THE CHAMBER IS A MODEL OF DRAMA

Grisham, in his usual fasion. has woven together a story that, although predictable, is emotionally drenching and entertaining. It is true that all of Grisham's main characters are essentially the same person ( I've read all his works ) and that his plots are somewhat similar, although I really don't see this as a negative. His subtle humor and clever cynicism make Grisham enjoyable almost regardless of the plot. In this story, there is no need to feel sorry for Sam to like the book. I like the death penalty and despise people like Sam Cayhall and believe that death is too good for them, and I don't think that Grisham necessarily defends Sam in the book either. Regardless of your feelings on the death penalty, the book is an emotional thriller, and Grisham's portrayal of Nungent and his gang as morons merely increases his ability to work humor into the book, rather than turning the book into a political forum. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, especially for people who have read Grisham and appreciate his humor.